Thirteen suspected illegal miners have been arrested following a dawn operation in forest reserves in the Aowin Municipality of the Western North Region.
The arrests were made during a coordinated intelligence-led exercise carried out by the Western North Regional Forest Services Division in collaboration with the Enchi Forest District.
The operation took place in the early hours of Tuesday, January 20, 2026, between 1:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., targeting illegal mining activities at the Boi Tano and Jema Asemkrom Forest Reserves, areas increasingly threatened by unauthorized mining.
Four separate teams were deployed to the sites, raiding several illegal mining camps. During the exercise, five water pumping machines and four makeshift structures used by the miners were destroyed, while two additional pumping machines, mobile phones, and other mining equipment were seized as evidence.
All 13 suspects were handed over to the Enchi Police Command to assist with investigations and potential prosecution in accordance with the law.
The Enchi Forest Services Division reiterated its commitment to safeguarding forest reserves and protecting water bodies from the destructive impact of illegal mining, warning that similar operations will continue across the region to clamp down on offenders.
